Lions, Werewolves and Bears, Oh My!
by PennyGoLucky
Summary: Edward's favorite meal gets a fair fight for once,and the pack meets a new kind of Shifter.This means Lucy's life just got a lot weirder.Quite the feat,considering she explodes into a 900-pound mountain lion rather often.First story,looking for a Beta!
1. Chapter 1: On the Prowl

Breathe in, breathe out.

The air smelled of fallen leaves, of black churned earth and of humid tree trunks.

It was early November, and when I had come out to the wood this morning, the ground had been laced with the year's first frost. Now, it was nearly midday; it had thawed, everything was cool and soft, the ground slick with yesterday's rain.

I stood on a flat rock, flexing my toes in the moss that covered it. It tickled the underside of my feet, making the corners of my mouth stretch into a wide smile. I loved the autumn. I loved these woods. I loved the way the sun warmed my bare body as I stood there, in the middle of the trees, while the cool breeze dried the sweat from my morning run. It had been a particularly intense one; I'd had been curious to know how fast my second body could go. I assumed I was at least halfway to Seattle, and I'd set out from my parent's country house in northern B.C.

This meant I was fast. Faster than Dad ever was. My smile widened.

With one last deep breath, I turned and sprinted, letting the shudders come over me as I pumped my human legs at full speed (which, by the way, was still pretty damn fast), before feeling my body expand mid-stride, my muscles twisting and reforming, my bones stretching as I phased. This first time it had happened, almost a year ago in my parent's backyard, I remember thinking it was weird and it tickled, and also that it was fucking terrifying. A bit like becoming the terrible Hulk, only with less green and more fur. I pushed my longer, thicker legs into an even faster pace, testing the boundaries of my speed as I made for home. My claws ripped at the ground as I flew over it, the trees blurring into one another. I would make it in time for lunch, for sure.

When I got to the edge of my parent's land, I looked around for the gnarled branch where I'd thrown my bathrobe. I hadn't bothered with getting dressed that morning, knowing I'd be going out after breakfast. Instead, I'd wrapped myself in a tattered robe before going downstairs. My mom, for whom a semblance of normalcy was still important, hated when I did this. Never mind that her husband and, as she had discovered recently, their eldest daughter, could transform into 900-pound mountain lions. Flicking my tail, I shrunk back into my smaller body before tugging the robe off its branch and slipping into it.

I crossed the now-empty field barefoot, swearing whenever a sharp rock or cut cornstalk bit at my skin. _Stupid friggin cornstalks._ I made a mental note to bring shoes or slippers or_ something_ next time.

As I neared the house, I could smell quiche wafting out from the open kitchen window. My stomach growled reproachfully at me in response. I hadn't eaten much that morning, eager to head out. Well, I was paying for it now.

The screen door of the back porch squeaked loudly as I pulled it open.

"I'm back!"

"Hey kiddo," Dad poked his head out around the corner of the cabinet he was going through. "I made some quiche for lunch, know you love 'em."

A wide grin spread on my face as I spotted said quiche on the counter. Bless him, he'd made three.

"Thanks Dad, they smell great."

I headed for the cutlery drawer, intending to set the table for the two of them; I was, however, interrupted by my mother's arrival.

"We're home!" She called from the front door, before dropping something and swearing. "A little help, maybe? Lucy! Get over here and help your mother with the groceries!"

I rolled her eyes dramatically at my father, who chuckled and got back to rummaging through the cupboard.

I stalked out of the kitchen, stopping when I reached the entrance. There, my mom was struggling to pull her feet out of a pair of too-small rain boots (probably borrowed from Eve), balancing on one foot with a hand on the wall and the other holding three or four grocery bags. The others were scattered around her haphazardly, with our overweight Rottweiler, Mattie, sniffing at them enthusiastically. I shook my head, sighed, and went over to help her.

"Hey Mom, " I said, swooping down to give her a peck on the cheek as she took the bags from her left hand, allowing her to use it to pull off the offending boot.

"Thank you, sweetie. God, these boots are the worst." She replied, tucking an unruly curl behind her ear with a huff. Sadly, this allowed her to see what her daughter was wearing. Namely, my ratty old bathrobe. She stood up, hands on her hips and either side of her heavily pregnant stomach.

"Lucy, what in the world are you still doing in nothing but that damn robe at nearly one in the afternoon? Have you even showered since yesterday? I swear to God, you're doing this on purpose, just to irk me. Go get cleaned up, get dressed—" I said nothing but a mumbled 'Sure Mom' and turned to go up the stairs "—and don't you come back down with a t-shirt and sweat-pants. Get some actual clothes, please, we're going out later. Don't complain, you need some new sneakers since you ruined the other ones last week." Sadly, this was true; I'd litteraly exploded out them after a fight with my sister, so now they were in the trash outside, reduced to the state of shreds. This annoyed me. I prided myself on having such good control over my phasing. Plus, those sneakers were my comfiest favorite pair of shoes.

"Oh, and Lucy? Ask your sister to get out of her room and help me out with these goddam bags before Mattie eats them."

After having pounded on Eve's door and having sing-songed to her that she'd better go down before our mother came up, I headed straight to the bathroom, peeling off my admittedly filthy robe before opening the water faucet. As I waited for the water to be just warm enough, I examined herself in the mirror. I'd been doing that a lot in the last seven months, ever since my first ? You would, too. My features had changed minutely since then; my eyes seemed more almond-shaped, the green of them slowly turning to a light gold color; alot like my Dad's. The light dusting of freckles I used to have (and love) had faded somewhat, and the teeth behind her thin lips had pointed. Mostly my canines, really, which were pointy to begin with, but if you looked closely enough you'd notice they were longer than they were supposed to be. Creepy, if you ask me. My curly hair had straitened to some extent, and the dirty blonde color of it had ashened considerably; it was very nearly the same shade as my lion self's fur. I'd had grown, both in height and in bulk; I'd been tall enough for a girl I guess, but now I was an outright giant. I didn't know any other girls who reached six foot two at the ripe old age of seventeen. And where I'd been lanky and clumsy before, I was all lean muscle and feline grace now.

I'd never thought of myself as pretty before, but I guess that was what I'd become when I took on some of the more feline traits resulting from my 'condition". Thank god I didn't shift into a horse or a cow or something like that.

I snorted at the thought, and, deciding the lukewarm temperature would suffice, stepped into the bathtub.

I sighed contentedly when the spray hit me; I really had needed a shower. I watched the grime wash off me as it swirled toward the drain in brownish-gray ribbons. _Yuck_. I reached for the bottle of shampoo, and squeezed out more than I actually needed; I _loved_ frothy bubbles. I only used the hypo-allergenic and odorless soaps and cosmetics now; anything but that irritated my nose. That was something I missed; I used to love girly scented body washes and soaps. Now they just burned my throat and made me sneeze. I frowned and rinsed the lather out.

There were many things I'd had to give up. School. Friends. I was home-schooled now; besides, this was my last year in high school. Once I graduated, was good enough with my temper to be able to control my wilder impulses, I could go to college; somewhere no one would recognize me. I'd told my friends (all three of them) I'd transferred to a school in Colorado, and my family had taken up residence on the farm permanently, leaving Victoria and its overly populated streets behind. Here, I had the space needed for a horse-sized cougar to be comfortable in, and the privacy to phase. Good thing I had Eve, or I wouldn't be able to talk to anyone about anything that didn't have to do with phasing or with the latest variety of organic Nepalese turnips or some other crap health food my mother was growing. God. My sister was surprisingly mature for her age, and, despite her sometimes brooding nature, we had become very close. Besides, Mattie wasn't very talkative company. He also kind of smelled.

Having successfully removed the incrusted dirt from my feet, I turned the water off and reached for a towel. I wrapped it around my head, wrapped another, larger one around myself, grabbed ratty-robe in one hand and opened the door with the other. Once in my room, I went through my top drawer for some panties, slipped them on and decided not to bother with a bra; I've never had much to brag about anyways. Then, I tried opening my closet. The doorknob, however, remained stuck. This happened all the time. The farmhouse was old, and the foundations had moved around quite a bit; so, the doorjambs did'nt always fit the doors. I wiggled it a bit, pulled at it, and finally lost patience with the stupid thing and rammed it with my shoulder.

The massive oak door splintered right from the point of impact through to the other side with a crunching noise.

"Awww, fuck!" My mother was going to have a fit. It's not like I used my freakish strength on purpose; I just kept on forgetting about it. Well, at least the door swung open now. I picked out some old boyfriend jeans, a black camisole and a plaid shirt. I stuffed my feet into my knock-off Uggs (as ridiculously comfy as they are unappealing to the eye), seeing as I had no shoes, and flung my towels into the laundry basket before heading downstairs. I was gathering my damp hair into a bun when I entered the kitchen.

"Honestly Rob, it's like the more in your face something is, the less likely you are to find it. Use your damn kitty senses or something." Mom had apparently found whatever it was that my father had been looking for in the cupboard. He responded with a dazzling smile. "I don't mind the sight of you up there on that chair looking for the oregano, though." He grinned, leering at his wife's backside. He reached out to steady said wife as she descended from the chair, since her belly kept her from seeing her own two feet.

"Ew, Dad. No." grimaced Eve, her head popping up from behind the refrigerator door where she was putting the groceries away. She spotted me and beamed. "Hey, Catwoman. Went out running this morning?"

I narrowed my eyes at the nickname.

"Guess so. I made it halfway to Seattle by ten-ish."

Dad's head snapped up at this. I crossed my arms and cocked my head, ready to gloat and deny I was lying.

"Lucy, I don't want you near Seattle. I don't even want you near the border for that matter. I've heard some rumors from a couple of Shifters down there." His word tumbled out of him quickly and sharply, leaving no room for objection. He knew how much I loved southern part of the Olympic peninsula; he didn't look too sure I'd listen to him.

I lifted a brow at this. He avoided my gaze and dug into his quiche.

I understood he didn't want to talk about it in front of the two other girls, and settled with looking disgruntled at being left out of the loop. I sat down at the table, reached over to the middle of it and helped myself to half of one of the quiches. Eve, having put all the food away, sat down opposite of me with a glass of apple juice, clearly amused .

"You know, if you keep eating that much, eventually you're gonna get huge." She commented, smirking.

I shot her a glare.

"Eve, my other body weighs nearly a thousand pounds. I _am _huge." I countered.

"Whatever."

The brat got up and downed her glass, before setting it on the counter and announcing she was going to finish her homework.

Once Eve was out of earshot, Mom threw her arms up and declared, "I swear that girl spends her whole life studying, sleeping or skulking. And you!" she continued, pointing an accusatory finger in my direction, "You run around the woods naked, and cost me a fortune to feed. What happened to my sweet girls?"

"Puberty," Said Dad, while I snorted.

Dad glanced at me, his expression serious. He was worried about me, I knew. He always was nowadays. I decided this was as good a time as any to try and talk to him about the other Shifters and, not being one to beat around the bush, started:

"So Dad, about those Shifters-"

"Ramona, I forgot to feed the chickens this morning." Said Dad, sending a pointed look at his wife. She got the hint, and replied, somewhat tersely, "Be right on it! I'll be back in half an hour though, so don't think you're getting out of shopping this time, young miss."

She grabbed her gardening gloves from the hook ext to the porch door, slid her feet into her worn-out Birks and stepped outside.

He looked at her retreating form for a moment before turning back to me.

"What do you want to know?"

"Well," I started, "Tell me about these Shifters further south. How come you never mentioned them?"

"Never needed to. Besides, I didn't know if you'd want to know; you've got way more on your mind than you should already."

"Would you have told me eventually?"

"Probably. After having made you promise to respect their privacy; you know how secretive our kind is."

I nodded at this. We ourselves were an example of that.

"Okay. Then what about the rumors? What's so bad that we can't deal with it?"

"I'm not sure, Luce. Apparently there have been a lot of hikers going missing in Washington lately, maybe from bear attacks. I didn't get any specifics, just a heads up. But we've been in contact with these Shifters since before my grandfather was born; if they say something's up, then I say we trust them."

"Dad. Really, it can't be that big a deal; what kind of a bear could get to a Shifter? There's no such thing."

"Well, let's hope not."


	2. Chapter 2: Close Encounters

**A/N: So here it is, the second chapter to my first story! I hope you've enjoyed it so far; if you haven't, feel free to tell me so. Or, you know, even if you did ;) Reviews are golden! :) As a side note, I'd like to mention I** don't** have a Beta yet; so if you find any spelling mistakes or irregularities, just tell me. And forgive me. Also, tell me if you'd like to Beta. I'd like that too :P**

**Now, let's get on with the story, shall we?**

**Chapter Two: Close Encounters**

The next day was a Sunday. Having completed my self-assigned homework the day before, after a painful couple of hours shopping with my Mom, I decided to go for a run.

I went to the kitchen to grab a bite, not wanting a repeat of yesterday's post-run hunger pangs; so I popped four pieces of bread in the toaster, grabbed the orange juice and eggs from the fridge and the peanut butter from the cupboard. Two eggs, four toasts, a bowl of cereal and three glasses of orange juice later, I felt just about full. What can I say, I had the metabolism of a puma, might as well indulge. So, I snapped a banana from the cluster on the counter on my way out, digging my short nails into the skin as I slipped my feet into my mother's sandals. No way was I walking through a field of giant splinters barefoot again.

The screen door slapped shut behind me as I hopped down the small steps onto the grass. I bit off almost a third of the fruit in one go, aiming to throw the peel in the compost bin on the edge of the yard. As always, I missed.

I crossed the field more quickly than I had on my way back the day before, grateful for the soles of the shoes I was wearing. Once within the cover of the trees, I pried my feet from them and set them at the base of a tree. Once everything was off and thrown over a branch, I took a moment to savor the gooseflesh riddling my arms and legs, and then broke out into a light jog. I phased easily, and accelerated. I turned and went south, although telling myself I wouldn't cross the border. I felt myself leap through the woods, over creeks and under fallen trees, leaves fluttering and falling from their branches behind me. My massive ribcage allowed for deep, even breathing. My claws kept me from slipping over the uneven ground, though they were rather short , and my long tail kept my balance impeccable. I loved this body. If I hadn't had a family, I might've given up on the human one altogether.

I wanted to try to hunt today. I figured it wouldn't be a fair match for whatever deer ended up as supper, but hey, Mom would have a few months' worth of organic, free-range meat for free. Imagine the juicy roasts, the sausages, the spiced meat pies…

My mouth was watering, wetting the fur around my black lips. Ew. I slowed down, wanting to sniff the air and get a trail. Even though I could probably just hear prey from a couple miles away, I wanted to do this the good old-fashioned way. So I sat on my haunches and lifted my head, my nostrils twitching as I tasted the wind. At first, nothing. I turned my nose east, from where the wind was blowing. Bingo! A good-sized herd of deer, just five miles to my left. Thinking of all the homemade delicacies my parents would make of the catch, I trotted off towards it. I thought about how to make the hunt more fun; I should have them run and scatter, to make it feel less like harvesting and more like hunting. If I just snuck up on them without giving them a head start, I'd have been in and out and they wouldn't have seen it coming. No, that wouldn't do. I decided I'd roar a little ways off, as a warning. That was as fair as it was going to get, anyway. I trotted another mile or so, then reared my head and, without breaking stride, let out the loudest roar I'd made yet. Heh. That was fun. I was in the middle of a deserted forest after all. I heard the terrified deer start, braying in fear and warning, and heard them scatter and run for it. Had I been able to, I would've grinned. This was going to be fun.

A few miles south, a somewhat similar hunt was taking place. Edward, Bella and their now four year-old daughter, Rensesmee, were hoping to come across larger and more appetizing prey than the habitual herd of deer. A little while back, Bella had caught scent of her husband's favorite meal on the wind coming in from the north: a mountain lion. And it was strong. They were all headed towards it, Renesmee in front, leaping rather than running. Her parents had slowed their pace to match hers, smiling at the girl's antics. All of a sudden, an unmistakable cry sounded through the trees; the lion was roaring, and it was loud. Too loud.

Edward slowed and stopped, the girls backtracking

"Bella, love-"

"Dad, I swear that if I hear you say anything about this being too dangerous for me, I will throw a tantrum." Stated Rensemee, her face set with a scowl.

Edward turned to Bella for support, but found she was wearing a smirk, her hands set on her hips.

"Ok, Nessie, let's show your Dad just how unfragile his girls are."

At Edward's growl, she quickly added, "Just let me go in first, OK?"

Nessie grinned widely, and then started off like a shot. Bella shrugged, smiling, and went off after her. He followed them, mumbling under his breath.

As they ran toward it, they could hear and smell the deer heading their way, breathing heavily, their hearts pounding as furiously as their hooves; right behind them, they could hear the heavy breathing and steady thumping of a beast's heart, even and calm, as well as heavy, padded footfalls. Much too heavy for a lion, and much too quick as well. Immediately, Edward accerlated and ran past his wife and daughter and into a clearing, just as the herd rushed into it from the other side. Sensing danger there as well, they scattered left and right, braying, as a gigantic puma descended on the stag.

And it was gigantic.

"Holy crap!" yelped Renesmee, her eyes wide.

Neither Bella nor Edward could find it in them to scold her for her language, since the puma looked up suddenly, startled by the exclamation. Just then, the wind brought it a whiff of their smell, and its eyes widened. It crouched defensively over its catch, still as a statue and eyes unblinking, a low hissing growl building somewhere deep in its chest.

Then, Edward heard an unfamiliar voice in his mind. And it was swearing. A lot.

_Fucking fuckfuck shitfuck crap and poo holy FUCK shitshitshitsssshhhit._

It was distinctly female, and most definitively coming from the beast before them.

Well _that_ was unexpected.

He titled his head minutely to his right, towards Bella, and said:

"Shifter."


End file.
